Apparel-hanger.



F. N. KBRSHAW.

APPAREL HANGER.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. so

Patehted June 29, 1909.

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FRED N. KERSHAW, OF RAOINE, WISCONSIN.

APPARE L-HAN GER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Application filed December 30, 1908. Serial No. 470,089.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Free N. KERsHAw, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Racine, in the county of Racine and State of WVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparel-Hangers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts hereinafter particularly set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims herewith, its object being to provide simple, economical and eflicient lock hangers for apparel such as coats and hats, provision being had for automatic opening of each hanger when the same is unlocked.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a partly sectional side elevation of a hat and coat lock hanger in acordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a rear elevation of the front casing of the hanger and parts therein partly in section; Fig. 3, a horizontal section of said hanger, the view being indicated by lines 33 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a front elevation of the indented back-plate of the aforesaid hanger provided with spring-detents, and Fig. 5, a side elevation of a key for retracting said detents and holding the same out of position to engage a tooth of a sliding rackblock guided in said casing.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A indicates a back-plate of any suitable contour provided with a central angular depression, the vertical portion of which is inclined. Ends of suitably bent springdetents B are riveted or otherwise suitably fastened to said inclined vertical portion of the back-plate depression.

F astened by screws Z) or other suitable means to the back-plate are flanges c of a box-like casing C, and guided in this casing is a rack-block D engageable with the aforesaid detents. The top of the casing is re cessed for the introduction of a key E, and a keyway d is provided in said casing. The key is a plate provided with a longitudinal slot 0 by which it clears a lug f extending from the rack-side of the block D, in order to retract the detents B engaged with a tooth of said block.

Extending through an aperture provided in the top of the casing C is a branch of a bowj aw F having an end g thereof in screwthread engagement with the rack-block D whereby said jaw is movable with said block. Opposing the jaw F is another bow-jaw (Jr, a branch of which extends through an aperture provided in the bottom of said casing, and an end it of this jaw has screw-thread engagement with an anchor-block H set in the aforesaid casing independent of the same. The opposing outer ends of the jaws F, G, are shown provided with matching concave and convex buttons j, is, these buttons being preferably of rubber or other suitable elastic material.

The blocks D, H, are counter-bored adjacent to their ends, and the counterbores are engaged by rods I and spiral-springs J under tension surrounding said rods on which the block D has loose-play. The springs are normally expanded and support the rack-block D in the position shown in Fig. 2, the hanger being then open and the key E lifted higher than is shown in Fig. 1, by the lug f of said block engaged with the slot of said key.

' A coat or hat or both being hung on the lower jaw G of the open hanger the upper jaw F with the block D is pushed down against the resistance of the spring J to grip the suspended apparel between the button ends of said jaws, the rack side of said block being caught by the detents B to lock said upper jaw against lift far enough to permit removal of said apparel from said lower jaw. In the meantime the key E drops to the position shown in Fig. 1, but should be withdrawn from the casing C and carried by the person employing the hanger until such time as said hanger is to be opened to permit removal of the aforesaid a arel. To 0 )en the han er the key is properly inserted in the aforesaid casing and pushed down in same to disengage the detents B from the rack-block l), whereupon the springs J expand to auto" matically lift said block and upper jaw as far as the lug-engaged slot in said key will permit. The key being released there is further automatic ascension of the block I) to the position shown in Fig. '2, and said key itself is lifted to normal position.

The set of the rack-block lug f diilcrs in each hanger so as to prevent the key of one hanger being utilized to retract the detents of another, said lug being a stop for a key or keys not correspondingly slotted. However a master-key common to a series of hangers may be utilized to open any one of .4 irals able means to a wall or other support, and

the support itself may be the back for one or a series of casings such as the one here n speclfied clearance space be ng provided n every instance for a detent or detents engageable with the rack-block guided in each casing.

The anchor block H in the casing is held down by the tension of the springs G and gripped between the back-plate A' and casing C, but it may be rig-idly secured in said casing, and the jaws E, F, may be fastened to the rack and anchor blocks, respectively, in any suitable manner.

I claim:

1. An apparel hanger comprising a spring-controlled rack-block and guide for same, a lug extending from the rack-side of the block, a jaw in connection with said block to move with same, a detent arranged to be automatically engageable with the rack-block but retractable by a slide-key having a lug-clearing slot, and a stationary jaw in opposition to the one aforesaid.

2. An apparel hanger comprising a casing, rods therein, spiral-springs surrounding the rods, a rack-block loose on said rods against the springs, a jaw in'connection with the rack-block to move therewith, a detent arranged to be automatically engageable with the rack-block but retractable by a suit able key, and a stationary aw in opposition to the one aforesaid.

3. An apparel hanger comprising a casing, an anchor-block 1n the casing independent of the same, a jaw in connection with the block, a rack-block guided in said casing, another jaw in connection with the rackblook to move therewith to and from the jaw aforesaid, and a detent arranged to be automatically engageable with said rack-block but retractable by a suitable key.

a. An apparel hanger comprising a casing, rods therein, spiral springs surrounding the rods, counterbored rack and anchor blocks having their counterbores engaged by said rods and springs, the springs being under tension; a jaw in connection with the rack-block to move therewith against resistance of the springs, a detent arranged to be automatically engageable with said rackblock but retractable by a suitable key, and another jaw in connection with the anchor block opposite the one aforesaid.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Racine in the county of Racine and State of lVisconsin in the presence of two witnesses.

J. H. LLOYD. 

